Storm in a T-Cup
by Eosophobia-3
Summary: The brothers make their way to Japan on a routine rescue mission but a storm hits and they become stranded. They must fight for their lives as a hurricane approaches. Will they make it out alive! Set mainly in the 2015 universe but can be read as any!
1. The Approaching Storm

**Chapter One: The Approaching Storm**

A chilly breeze ruffled the emerald leaves of the palm tree Gordon Tracy was currently leaning against, making them whisper secrets out into the sparkling ocean. He'd been swimming only moments earlier but the warm water had started to pull him out into its waves with a little more force than he was used to, a definite sign that a storm was on its way. It was unusual for the waters surrounding Tracy Island to be unruly and even stranger for them to become _choppy_ and the aquanaut had not been pleased with the interruption to his morning swim. Every morning he would try to get some time in the water, even if it was just in the family pool; what he enjoyed most, however, was the open ocean where he could explore a little and not be interrupted by four enthusiastic brothers every few minutes. Now, as he leant against the rough trunk of the swaying tree, he could hear their voices drifting towards him from the house and it brought a smile to his face. Though they may not be the most _serene_ of families, he certainly wouldn't change them for the world.

Virgil Tracy was furiously beating some eggs in a frying pan when his brothers entered the kitchen; he was usually the second to wake up in the morning, the first being Scott, and savoured the quiet time he had to himself in the morning before his brothers would arrive to disturb the peace. The early rising _did_ mean that he almost always ended up making breakfast for them, though, and before he could finish beating his scrambled eggs a pale freckled hand had scooped some of the mixture onto a fork and was shovelling it into his tired face.

"Hot! Hot!" Alan gaped like a fish as the sizzling eggs assaulted his tongue and Virgil shot him a 'serves you right' glare as he poured what was left of his eggs onto a plate.

Arms stretched above his head, Gordon sidled into the kitchen and threw some bread into the toaster before sitting down at the table next to his brothers. Alan was shovelling some cornflakes into his mouth, ever the elegant eater, and Virgil had already demolished the six or seven eggs on his plate and was contemplating making some more when Scott joined them. His dark hair was still wet from the shower he'd just taken; he liked to get up early and jog on the beach before breakfast and usually didn't make it back in time to eat with the others. Today, however, the weather was colder than usual and the spray from the sea wasn't just a light speckling of water, it was more like someone setting a hose on him. The smell of burning toast wafted into his nose, overtaking the previously pleasant aroma of fried eggs, and he gestured towards the toaster as smoke began to rise from it.

"Toast's burning."

"Ah! Crap!" Gordon yipped.

He scrambled to the toaster just in time to see two blackened squares of charcoal pop up from its depths. Delicious. Trying not to gag at the burning smell, he tossed the ruined toast in the trash and opted for the safer option of cornflakes before re-joining his brothers at the table. They sat in silence, something they often did and something that was no more awkward than sitting alone, and listened as the wind began to pick up outside. Trees wobbled and swayed as the light breeze became more of a gust and the sea began to slam against the sand rather than lap. Dark clouds loomed overhead, promising rain and maybe even thunder. Alan hoped it would only be the former.

Something banged loudly against the large window facing the ocean and Alan almost swallowed his spoon. Virgil patted him heavily on the back as he tried to contain his laughter and went to inspect whatever had hit the window. It was a small rock that had been lifted from the beach and carried by the wind like a torpedo, slamming into the glass.

"Looks like a storm's coming." Virgil noted as he returned to the table and picked up his plate and Alan's simply out of habit.

"Better get ready," Scott gulped down the rest of his orange juice and got to his feet, "There'll probably be some rescuing to be done if it's as bad as it looks."

Gordon sighed, "And here I thought we'd be having a day off."

A blinking orange light informed the team that John was on the line and moments later his holographic face appeared above the table in the lounge. The brothers gathered around to hear their first assignments of what looked to be a busy day.

"International Rescue this is Thunderbird 5."

Gordon smirked at Alan as John spoke; the spaceman was always so professional. Perhaps being all alone in space for months on end was effecting his human interaction skills.

"Go ahead, John." Scott had his game face on, ready to accept whatever John had to throw at them.

"There's a category 3 hurricane heading towards the mainland of Japan. With the path it's currently on it should miss hitting it head-on but there may be some collateral damage as it passes."

"Best to be on the safe side," Virgil folded his arms across his plaid chest.

"F.A.B, John. We're on our way." Scott cracked his knuckles and pointed to Alan, "Alan, you're with me in Thunderbird 1, Virgil and Gordon you two take 2 and 4, we may need some heavy lifting."

The teams split up to board the crafts, a buzz of anticipation filling the air as they did so. Rescues were what they lived for, what their father wanted to do from the very beginning, and it made each and every one of them feel not only closer to one another but closer to him too. Helping people in need was their only reward and sometimes it was a risky business but they wouldn't change what they did for anything. Saving lives was their day job.

* * *

Up in the silence of space, John Tracy floated calmly as he watched the tiny flickering blips on the hologram in front of him move out. The blips were those of Thunderbirds 1 and 2 setting off on their path to Japan and John took both pleasure and a sort of peace knowing that he could track and monitor his brothers and know exactly what they were doing even from over one hundred miles away, up above the atmosphere.

He took a moment to simply watch the pulsing lights travel across the Pacific Ocean, towards their destination and tried to imagine what his brothers would be talking about on their journeys. Scott would probably be lecturing Alan on safety procedures and making him check the first aid boxes tenfold, whereas Gordon was probably telling Virgil some cheesy jokes or chomping at the bit to travel all the way to Japan in Thunderbird 4. The thoughts brought a smile to John's face and he took a mental note to use the elevator as soon as the mission was complete to go and see his family in the flesh. It had been almost four months since his last 'drop-in' and, although he would never tell them as much, he _did_ occasionally miss the company.

A bright red warning light dragged John from his reverie like an icy hand to his spine. The pale orange symbol that had indicated a category three hurricane had suddenly morphed into a red triangle, the symbol for a category five. The difference between the two was devastating; a three meant some uprooting of trees and loss of power for a few weeks whereas a five could mean absolute destruction. Not only that but the speed and power of winds up to 160mph meant that the 'birds may not be able to land let alone _fly_ in those conditions. John needed to inform his brothers _now_ , before they got any closer to the storm. Attempting any sort of rescue in those conditions would be reckless and dangerous.

With fingers like those of a concert pianist, John tapped the necessary holograms to contact Thunderbird 1. Scott was their appointed leader after all and would inform the others of the impending danger in time for them to turn around. Thunderbird 2 was a lot slower than 1 and so Virgil would be able to turn around easily. According to the tracking information on the screen before him, however, John could see that Scott and Alan were almost in the danger zone. Perhaps another thirty minutes and they would be in real trouble. He needed to warn them immediately, before it was too late.

"Thunderbird 1 this is Thunderbird 5 please come in."

A moment of silence and then the familiar tones of his youngest brother filled the stale air of the space station.

"Hey John, what's up?" The holographic image of Alan looked excited like he always did when heading out on a mission.

"Alan, the hurricane is no longer a category three, it's increased in size and is now a five. You cannot fly into that."

Alan's face shimmered and then blinked out completely.

Static.

"Thunderbird 1?"

Static.

The astronaut stared intently at the blinking light that represented Thunderbird 1 and his brothers.

"What was that, John? You got cut off."

It was Scott's voice now but there wasn't enough signal to produce an image. He sounded further away somehow, like they were shouting at each other down a long tunnel. They were losing signal, fast.

"The hurricane is no longer category three, it's a five! Do not fly into that storm!"

* * *

Scott looked at his baby brother with a raised eyebrow as John's image flickered into nothingness.

"What did he say? The signal's cut off, must be this storm messing with the equipment."

Alan shrugged, "Sounded like he said, 'I really need to pee, I'll take a dive'."

"Oh," Scott shook his head and smiled, dimples and all, "I'm sure that's _exactly_ what he said."

* * *

John slammed his fist into the nothingness at his side and tried his best to calm his mind; he was the calmest of the brothers and was known for keeping his head in tough situations. When it came to the safety of his brothers, however, keeping calm was easier said than done. Mumbling to himself, he tapped Thunderbird 2's icon and listened as a barrage of static wafted through the speakers.

"Thunderbird 2 do you copy. Virgil are you there?"

"What's up, John?"

Virgil's image didn't come through static-free but it was clear enough to let John know that Virgil wasn't close enough to the storm for it to effect his equipment yet. He and Gordon were still safely out of range.

"The hurricane is no longer a category three, somehow it's jumped to a five."

Thunderbird 2's pilot disappeared and for a moment John thought he'd lost signal with him, too. After a few seconds Gordon's tones came through, though, and the astronaut could relax a little.

"What?" Gordon sounded shocked and John imagined his blond eyebrows knitting together, "How is that even possible?"

"It may have picked up speed whilst travelling, I'm not sure. But the crafts will _not_ be strong enough to fly through or anywhere near it. You have to turn back."

"F.A.B," Virgil paused and then his voice was suddenly more intense, "Did you tell Scott already?"

"I tried but the storm must be effecting the electrical equipment on board Thunderbird 1. I don't think they heard me."

John looked down through the gravity ring towards the glowing blues and greens of Earth beneath his feet. He could practically _see_ where Scott and Alan would be, could almost touch it with his hands but had no way to warn them of their predicament. All this technology and no way to stop his brothers flying towards such chaos.

It had been almost a full minute since John had told Virgil about losing communication with Thunderbird 1 and he was beginning to think that the same had happened with the bigger craft when Virgil's voice echoed into the quiet space.

"We'll go and get them."

"What? No, Virg-"

"No arguments. T2 is more stable than Thunderbird 1, she can take it. We'll get close enough to regain comms and tell them to get their butts out of there."

John shook his head, causing his red hair to flap in his eyes, "No way. It's too dangerous."

"Danger is my middle name," Gordon now.

"Your middle name is Cooper," the older brothers chimed in unison.

"We're going and that's that," Virgil's voice was almost drowned out by the whirring and clattering of Thunderbird 2's engines roaring faster, "We'll be back before supper, promise."

And with that the communications between the brothers fell silent. John knew that if he were in the same quandary as Virgil he would probably do exactly the same thing as his brother but it felt so wrong to just let them fly right towards the danger. Feeling like a lame limb on an otherwise working body, John flicked on 'away' mode and made his way to the space elevator. He'd be damned if he didn't at least _try_ to help.

Meanwhile, on Thunderbird 1 things were starting to get bumpy. About ten minutes after they'd lost communications with John the wind had started to increase in speed, sending the 'bird wobbling in the wrong direction a few times. It was nothing Scott hadn't dealt with before though and he kept his calm as he corrected their course manually.

As they flew further and further into the storm, however, Scott knew something wasn't quite right. The dials and monitors started to flicker and rise and by the time they could actually see Japan's coastline through the main window alarms were starting to sound and a flashing red light lit up the brothers' faces. Scott was using all of his strength to keep the craft on course but it was a futile effort; Thunderbird 1's nose started to dip and rise sporadically, sending it bouncing over the crashing waves like a skipping stone.

"This wind is crazy!" Alan had to yell to be heard over a loud alarm that was sounding.

"We just need to find somewhere to set her down!"

Scott gave his brother a smile and tried his best to hide the panic in his voice. Thunderbird 1 was almost totally out of control and its systems were beginning to fail. If he couldn't get a handle on the situation they were going to crash into the rough sea. The pilot looked out of the viewing window towards the fast-approaching land and tilted the rocket towards it as best he could. White-knuckled hands gripped the thrusters and he sent more power to the engines in the hope that he could get there faster and in one piece. That's when something very fast and very _large_ hurtled towards Thunderbird 1 and crashed into its right side.

An almighty screech filled the cockpit as the metal peeled away from the 'bird like skin from an apple. The impact sent the craft twirling in large circles as thick black smoke billowed around it. Something had hit them and pierced at least one engine. Fuel was spilling out, covering both Alan and Scott in slickness as they spiralled out of control.

"Scott!"

The older brother looked over at Alan, neck straining against the spinning motion. Alan looked terrified, big blue eyes filled with panic and confusion, and yet he still looked to his big brother for assurance that they'd be okay. He trusted Scott with his life and would follow him into an active volcano if he said to. Scott grabbed Alan's trembling hand in his own and shouted over the wailing and screeching of his beloved 'bird.

"We're going to crash! But I'll try to keep her steady!"

Alan only nodded silently in response, his large eyes fixed on his brother.

"Hold on to something, it'll be bumpy!"

And with that, Scott gripped the steering levers with both hands and pulled with all his might towards the island of Japan. Land came up on them faster than he'd anticipated and with Thunderbird 1 still spinning all he could do was keep her level and hope for the best.

Land. Sea. Land. Sea. Land.

An earth-shattering _thud_ and suddenly everything was silent. Darkness enveloped both the craft and its occupants.


	2. Ties that Bind

**Chapter Two: Ties that Bind**

The descent towards Earth in the space elevator seemed longer than it ever had before as John waited impatiently for it to touch down on Tracy Island. He stared uselessly out at the stormy skies above his home; the sea was rougher than he'd ever seen it before, crashing against the palm trees harshly, and the sky looked ominous. Huge black clouds rumbled and boomed as they collided like giant boulders in the sky and great flashes of lightening bleached the island over and over.

When he finally landed, John bounded out of the elevator, ignoring the whirring of its doors as he forced them open prematurely. Grandma Tracy was visiting friends in England and Kayo and Brains were at a conference with the GDF so there was no one to interrupt the astronaut's manoeuvring through the hangar, although it would have been nice to have his grandmother around simply for the moral support. She was nothing if not caring for her grandsons. He shook his head and cleared it of sentiment, trying desperately to construct some sort of plan that would both prevent Virgil and Gordon entering the storm and retrieve Scott and Alan from the eye of it. The only thing that came to mind was to go in himself and drag them back, much as he had done many times when his brothers had decided to do something reckless. John had always been the moderator of the brothers, always there with a sensible option or a way around the problem but now, as his brother's very lives hanged in the balance, he could think of nothing but to go rushing in blindly after them. And that's exactly what he would do.

With only a slight hesitation, John dashed towards where Kayo's craft sat on the podium and climbed inside. Thunderbird S was smaller than the other flying crafts but it made up for it in stealth and manoeuvring abilities; it was fast, too, and John hoped it could reach the storm around the same time Thunderbird 2 would. Although he hadn't been trained in the newest addition to the team, Brains had designed the controls to the same specifications as his brothers' 'birds and John quickly understood which buttons and levers needed to be moved in order to fly her. With a knot in his stomach that threatened to send him into a full blown panic, the redhead guided Thunderbird S out of the hangar and into the chaotic skies, heading towards the hurricane and his brothers. He just hoped that he would make it in time.

* * *

Burning. Smoke. Icy wind.

Alan's blue eyes fluttered open slowly. His first thought was that he'd fallen asleep on the floor again but this image was soon blown away as he felt a strange rocking momentum throughout his body. Something was tight around his left ankle, pulling tighter every second and growing heavier, too. Shards of glass seemed to be inside his right shoulder and as he tried to move his left arm towards it, the world seemed to shift with a tremendous clatter. The noise brought him out of the hazy daze and Alan was able to take in his surroundings.

He was underneath Thunderbird 1 but she wasn't on the ground, she was balancing precariously between an outcrop of rock and a huge billboard that had been stripped, save for the metal frame, by the hurricane. Alan's strap was caught on a sharp piece of metal that was protruding from the undercarriage of the craft and he was dangling uselessly about one hundred feet above the rocky beach below. Something cold and wet was dripping from the cockpit, covering him in a slick oil-like substance and he could see thick, billowing smoke seeping out of the nose cone.

The tugging on his ankle was starting to get painful and he looked down to see what was causing it. His eldest brother was hanging about fifteen feet below him and had somehow managed to grapple Alan's leg to prevent himself plummeting to the beach below. Scott was unconscious, however, his body dangling limply like a ragdoll. A dead weight on Alan's slender ankle.

"Scott!"

The youngest Tracy closed his eyes as a gust of wind propelled both he and his brother sideways, slamming them both against the rock face. The movement shifted the loop around Alan's ankle and for a moment that seemed to last a lifetime, he thought it was going to unravel and send Scott falling. Pain grew in his shoulder, which was most likely dislocated, as Alan used his other arm to grip the metal that his strap was caught on. It stung as the sharp edge cut into his glove but he remained resilient and held tight.

"Scott! Wake up!"

A movement below.

"Scott?!" Alan sounded like his younger self, shouting for help from his big brother.

A moan now, and finally Scott opened his eyes. He touched a hand to his head and winced as it came away bloody. Ever the leader, he took in his surroundings quickly and assessed the situation before locking eyes with Alan. The young blond smiled weakly.

"Scotty! How's it hanging?"

"You okay?" Scott's eyes were already scanning Alan for any signs of injury but he seemed pretty much undamaged.

"I think my shoulder's dislocated but I'm okay! You?"

"Just a bump on the head."

Another gale force wind, stronger than before, blew against them and crashed them into the rocky outcrop once more. The movement was strong enough to shift Thunderbird 1 and the billboard it was so perilously balanced on began to buckle, sending lose bolts hurtling towards the brothers.

"Alan, can you reach the rock face?" Scott was yelling over the sound of the gale and he had to squint as dust and debris blew into his eyes.

"Maybe!"

Swinging as hard as he could, Alan reached out his arm for the rocky cliff; he managed to grab some of the long grass but the weight and momentum of the pendulum that was he and his brother tugged him in the opposite direction and he lost his grip. He tried twice more but the weight of them was too much for his one good arm.

Another crunch and the billboard leaned further over, like a broken umbrella that had lost its fabric cover. Thunderbird 1 skidded downwards, a giant dart aimed at its pilot and Alan. It would only be a matter of minutes before it lost all traction with the grass and rocks and came hurtling towards them both. Scott knew this. He knew that he had to take action and save his little brother from harm. He felt the movement of Alan trying once again to grab onto the rock face but the effort was feeble and his strength was wavering. Rain poured down on them both, making them shiver and Scott's teeth were chattering as he shouted up towards Alan once again.

"We're too heavy for you to grab on! You're not strong enough!"

Ever the rebellious teenager, Alan jutted out his bottom lip and frowned down at his brother,

"I can do it! I'll try again!"

As Alan went to force himself forwards again, Scott saw his brother's strap begin to slip from the jagged piece of metal that was holding them both up. The shard started to bend further downwards and if Alan continued to swing he would slide right off and fall.

"Alan stop!"

Dangling legs stopped swinging and the teen swung loosely for a moment as he looked down at Scott. In that moment Scott thought he looked just as he had when he was a toddler; he'd always wanted to know what his older brothers were doing, was always getting in the way and trying to be involved. They had scolded him but their father had said he was simply inquisitive and interested in everything that was going on around him. Alan had always been that way and Scott hoped he would never stop being that way. Something wet trickled down Thunderbird 1's pilot's cheek as he looked up at his baby brother as he clung on for his life and it was as though Alan had read Scott's mind. His face crumpled into one of pure horror and he shouted, almost _screamed_ down at him.

"Scott! What're you- No!"

"We're too heavy, Allie. You can't reach the clifftop." His voice cracked on the last syllable and he cursed himself for being so weak.

"Then we'll just wait 'til Virgil gets here!" Alan's lip was trembling and tears had begun to pool in his baby blues, "We can _wait_ , Scott!"

Scott smiled and shook his head,

"Your strap's slipping. We'd both fall before they got here."

"No!" Alan had started to swing again, determination painted on his face.

"Alan Tracy you listen to me!"

Scott was surprised at how calm he felt. There was no fear, no terror. Instead he felt _pride_. Pride for his little brother growing up so well, pride for himself for being so brave. He placed his gloved hand on the wire holding him onto Alan, feeling more of a connection to him that way.

"I'm sorry, Alan," the rain slashed against their skin, hiding the tears that were now running freely down both their cheeks, "I never wanted to put you through something like this."

"Then don't!"

The power had gone from Alan's voice. He knew he'd resigned to what Scott was about to do, knew there was no way of preventing it. Scott would always be the big brother, the one who rescued everyone else and saved the day and there was no way of changing his mind when he'd decided on something. Their matching blue eyes met as Scott spoke once more.

"Don't be scared, okay?" He swallowed thickly and smiled and then they both winced as Thunderbird 1 shifted above them, "You wait until Virg' gets here, alright? I'm so proud of you, you know."

Alan whimpered in response and placed his fingers on the wire between them. Scott opened a pouch on his hip and pulled out a small laser cutter and placed it against the thin wire.

"Don't look, Allie."

A strangled cry escaped Alan's throat and he took one last look at his big brother before clenching his eyes shut. A moment later he felt the pressure on his ankle release and knew that Scott was gone.

That's when Thunderbird 1 screeched and hurtled forwards over the edge of the cliff, straight towards where Alan was hanging. He swung wildly towards the rocks and felt his strap slip completely off the metal splinter and felt himself hurtling through the air. The craft whooshed past behind him, towards the rocky beach below, and Alan slammed hard against the dirt and grass on top of the cliff. He'd been light enough to swing himself to safety, thanks to Scott.

Scott.

A heaviness seemed to encase him then, like a lead blanket that sucked all of the breath from his lungs. A sharp pain pierced his chest and he gripped at it with his one working hand as he curled into the foetal position, a tiny child out in the open without his big brother. He didn't cry. Huge gasps escaped him now and then but he didn't shed a single tear as he lay in the grass and dirt atop the cliff. Alan felt numb, he didn't notice the gale force winds nor the torrential rain that pelted his body and soaked his hair. He didn't even feel the large, safe hands of Virgil as he shook him firmly and picked him up.

* * *

Inside Thunderbird 2 was much quieter than outside in the open and the sudden lack of noise shook Alan to a state that was more awake than he'd been in hours. Virgil was sitting beside him on the cold metal floor of the craft, pulling his arm into a sling, and Gordon was pacing back and forth behind them, arms folded around himself.

"Virgil?" Alan croaked.

Virgil sighed loudly and placed his hand against Alan's cold cheek.

"Hey, Al."

He wanted to quickly ask where Scott was and shake answers from his little brother but the look of utter pain, and not just _physical_ pain on Alan's face made him pause. Not only did he not want to worry Alan any more than he seemed to be but he was actually _afraid_ of what Alan might have to say. Gordon, however, had no such tact.

"Where's Scott? We saw Thunderbird 1 on the beach but we couldn't land there safely."

"We couldn't land _anywhere_ safely," Virgil shook his head, "We crashed."

"So is he with TB1?" Gordon was crouching beside Alan now, ready for answers and prepared to have to go and save his big brother if necessary.

The response the brothers got from Alan was not what they were expecting. Their happy-go-lucky little brother slapped his good hand across his mouth and his eyes bulged. Fat, heavy tears spilled from his shimmering eyes and loud, trembling sobs wracked his small body. His brothers stared at him, dumbfounded and terrified of what he might say. They stayed silent as Alan continued to cry loudly, something he'd only done as a child a couple of times, but when he didn't seem to be calming down Virgil gripped his shoulders with his large hands and looked him in the eyes.

"Alan? Where's Scott? What happened?"

Alan bit his trembling lip and looked from Virgil to Gordon and back again,

"He- I'm sorry!" he was shaking as Gordon sat down beside him and put his arm around his shoulders.

"Just tell us, it's okay."

"We were too heavy. Hanging from the cliff." Another sob, "We were both going to fall so he…"

Virgil watched as his little brother's eyes grew wide again and knew what he was trying to say. Gordon seemed to have understood, too and his face fell into his hands. Jaw clenched, Virgil nodded and blinked away the tears that threatened to pour from his eyes. He knew that if he let them fall now, they would never stop. Instead he used his broad, strong body to encase his brothers, capturing them in a bear hug in the hopes that it would somehow help, somehow squeeze some of the pain and loss out of them.

The three brothers sat and held one another on the floor of Thunderbird 2 for over an hour, until the frame of the craft began to rattle with the force of the approaching hurricane.

"We need to find somewhere safer than Thunderbird 2," Virgil spoke, voice hoarse and scratchy, "This storm is going to be a bad one."


	3. And Then There Were Four

**Chapter Three: And Then There Were Four**

Another deafening _BOOM!_ and Thunderbird 2 rocked and shook with the force of the increasing wind. Virgil had managed to set her down on an empty patch of grass but it was more of a collision than an actual landing and he knew he'd damaged more than enough to prevent her from flying any time soon. The news of his eldest brother's demise had shaken him to his core and Alan and Gordon were in a pretty bad state, hell _he_ was in a pretty bad state. He was pretty sure he was in some kind of shock but there was no time for grief as he watched the tiny light on the display screen that represented the hurricane grow nearer and nearer with every passing minute. They needed to get out of the 'bird, out of the area, immediately, preferably to somewhere with cover.

Slowly, so as not to startle his little brothers because they looked like they were currently made of glass, he knelt down beside Alan and Gordon who had stopped crying and were just sitting silently holding one another's hand. Virgil added his own paw on top of them and spoke quietly but with enough urgency to let them know it was important.

"We need to get out of the open." Alan's bloodshot eyes drifted to him slowly as he continued, "I'm going to try and raise Thunderbird two so we can get a pod, okay?"

Blue eyes that looked paler than they ever had looked away just as slowly as they had before, like he was moving underwater, but Gordon nodded. The squid looked exhausted; his eyes were puffy and red and he seemed almost folded in on himself, his usual bounce and vigour drained completely.

Forcing himself to his feet, Virgil put on his 'big brother' hat and flicked the switch on the dashboard for his craft to raise up on its stilts to allow the cargo bay to be emptied. Nothing happened. He flicked it again but only a low, angry whirring noise drifted up from the belly of the 'bird. No movement whatsoever.

"Shit!"

Fists slammed down on the console and the noise echoed through the space like a gunshot, startling the younger Tracys to their feet.

"What's wrong?" Gordon was still holding his little brother's good hand and they looked just as they had when they were small, when the rest of the household gave them their nickname 'The Terrible Twins'.

"The cargo bay's stuck. Nothing will deploy."

That simple sentence seemed to give the aquanaut a new lease of life and he suddenly dropped Alan's hand, much to Virgil's dismay as he thought his youngest sibling might topple over from the loss of contact. How could one person go through so much in so little time and still be able to function normally? He was jostled from his thoughts as Gordon began smashing buttons and pulling levers to his side, desperately trying to find a way to get Thunderbird 2 on her feet. After almost a minute of swiping his hand over anything and everything, including the shower controls and coffee machine, Gordon slumped in the pilot's chair, defeated. He looked up at Virgil, eyes wide with grief, sorrow and dejection.

"Thunderbird 4's stuck in there. I'll never get her back."

A lightbulb clicked on in Virgil's head, finally understanding his brother's panic moments before. He put his large hand on Gordon's shoulder and tried a smile. It felt like a Halloween mask on his face, hollow and void of any real emotion, but he wore in nonetheless in the hopes that it would somehow soothe his squid of a brother.

"We'll get her out after the storm."

"Promise?"

Virgil nodded and a chuckle escaped his lips, "Promise."

Something heavy clanged against the side of Thunderbird 2, sending them rocking and sliding about the cockpit and Virgil knew they had to leave _now._ He grabbed Alan's good arm and whipped the sling off with his free hand in one swift motion. His little brother didn't even flinch but when the medic began to tug on his injured arm the patient's face contorted into one of pain and he tried to slap Virgil away.

"Keep still, Alan. I was going to do this when we got home but that's not happening any time soon."

Virgil grabbed Alan's elbow and wrist and told him to take a deep breath. The blond did so and his brother yanked the arm as hard as he could until a loud _crunch_ and _pop_ let him know that the shoulder was back in its correct place. He quickly looped the sling back on as Alan blinked away the sweat that had dripped into his eyes, something that didn't go unnoticed by his brothers. He was most likely running a fever; being out in the cold rain for so long would definitely not be _good_ for anyone, especially someone who seemed so out of it in the first place.

With brown eyes that seemed almost back to their usual awareness, Gordon turned from where he'd been pressing buttons on the display screens and pointed to a holographic map of their location.

"Here," a long finger poked into the shimmering image of the beach and towards a reasonably sized town about half a mile from where Thunderbird 2 was sitting, "We should be able to make it to the town before the worst of the hurricane hits."

Without any other options, Virgil nodded and ruffled Gordon's hair, the same thing Scott would do whenever he had the chance. The thought knocked the breath from Virgil as he realised his big brother would never do it again but he bit down on his lip, hard enough to draw blood and continued the task at hand. He opened the large steel exterior door. It seemed like night had fallen outside; the sky was dark and foreboding, the only light source the lightning that lit up the world like a giant camera flash every few minutes. Trees had been uprooted and branches were floating through the air like feathers on a gentle breeze. It didn't seem like the best idea International Rescue had ever had and Virgil wished that their comms were working so that he could ask John whether they should risk it or not. Their communications had gone out hours ago, however, and so the only thing they _could_ do was take their chances. They certainly didn't want to be stuck in Thunderbird 2 when the hurricane was in full swing, all that metal and electrics would be a terrible combination and certainly not a safe place to use as a shelter.

"Okay," Virgil's voice seemed to be carried away in the gusts of wind as he turned to his brothers, "Let's do this quickly."

Hands above their heads and bodies leaning into the encroaching gale, the three brothers made their way towards the only salvation they thought possible and just hoped that they would make it in time.

* * *

 _Okay_ , thought John as Thunderbird S tilted and shuddered madly through the air, _Maybe this wasn't such a brilliant plan after all._ The craft had made it to the mainland but the redhead was having an extremely difficult time keeping her in the air; he needed to set her down somewhere remote but the beach was littered with debris from something huge and metal and the spare patches of grass were becoming more and more cluttered with pieces of flying metal and fallen trees. He remembered Brains saying something about Thunderbird S's ability to land vertical, 'like a woodpecker' is how Alan had described it, but he wasn't exactly sure how or where he could even try that.

From the viewing window, John saw the rooftops and steeples of a town. It looked quite small, maybe three miles square, but it was better than nothing. The 'bird bucked and sashayed, caught on currents of wind that it was never meant to have to cope with, but John held firm and guided her towards an open stretch of road on what looked like the main street of the small town. White knuckled hands gripped the controls and lowered the craft downwards, knocking over a streetlight in the process. She was almost completely down when a powerful blast of wind sent her flying sideways. The right wing pierced a shop window, sending its contents spilling outwards like intestines full of glass and cuddly toys. It may have been rough, and John was pretty sure Kayo would murder him when he got home, but he had landed safely.

The town seemed to have been evacuated; bikes and cars lay abandoned in the streets, streetlights flickered and some lay completely on their sides like huge pens that had rolled out of a giant's pencil case. The few shops that still had their windows were dark inside and the only sound John could hear over the wind was the faint whooping of a car alarm a few blocks away. Taking all of this in only took a matter of seconds, enough time for the astronaut's brain to realise that he was no better off standing in this empty town than he was hundreds of miles away on Thunderbird 5. He still had no way to communicate with his brothers and now he didn't even have all of the tracking equipment to see where they were.

He could have punched himself for being so reckless. Not only was he no closer to helping his brothers but now _he_ probably needed rescuing too. What an utter failure.

"Idiot," he mumbled to himself as he fumbled for a torch in his sash.

"I've always thought so."

The familiar voice jerked John from his task and the torch went skidding across the tarmac until it was stopped abruptly by one large blue boot. Virgil picked it up and tossed it back to John, who caught it without taking his slack-jawed stare from his brother.

"Virgil?"

"What're you doing here, Spaceboy?"

Virgil seemed smaller to John somehow, like a balloon that had started to deflate.

"I came to rescue…"

His words faded into the wind as Gordon and a very pale Alan joined them, the latter of which stumbled into John's embrace, wrapping his good arm as tightly as he could around his new oldest brother. Teal eyes frowned quizzically at Virgil over Alan's head and when the only response he received was a strangled sob from Alan, John spoke.

"Where's Scott?"

Alan's grip tightened on his brother and Virgil just shook his head, eyes to the floor. The single tear that trickled down John's face was plucked from his cheek by the wind and he buried the rest in Alan's hair as he held him closer. Somehow he knew the day would come when his big brother would do something that meant the utmost sacrifice. He didn't even need Virgil or the others to tell him how or why Scott had done it, he simply knew their big brother had saved one or more of their lives by sacrificing his own. Their leader wouldn't even have thought twice about it, John thought, he would have simply accepted it and chosen whatever option he could to save someone else.

With a sudden realisation that he was the eldest now, John felt the responsibility like a lead weight on his shoulders. How could he ever take Scott's place? What was he supposed to do now? He'd always had his big brother to ask for advice, anything from girls to quantum physics, but now it was _his_ duty to take charge and lead the team. He wasn't ready, wasn't _nearly_ ready. Thankfully, Virgil seemed to have already made the decision to act now and grieve later as he guided his family into a tall, ornate building that looked like it could possibly be the town hall.

They forced the heavy wooden doors shut and stepped into the large empty hall. Chairs were scattered around; it seemed that the townsfolk had been having a meeting when the hurricane warning had been called and loose flyers carpeted the wooden floor, strangers' 2D faces staring up at them like death masks. There was a small kitchenette just off the main hall and Gordon took Alan to get some water whilst the eldest brothers checked out the structural integrity of the building. As they looked, John asked what Virgil was hoping he wouldn't.

"How?"

"Alan said he cut his grapple to save him."

John nodded and his voice came out as a whisper, "Always the hero."

Terrified eyes that didn't suit the brawny brother's otherwise strong persona pleaded at John,

"What do we do now, Johnny?"

"First we keep ourselves alive, then… Then I don't know."

After checking the main walls of the town hall they realised that it would be the strongest building in the town. Whether or not it would hold against a category five hurricane was another question altogether, though, and both John and Virgil felt helpless as they waited for the worst of it to hit. All they could do was block the windows with chairs and tables, sit with their backs against one of the supporting walls and wait.

They could hear the sound of cars being picked up and slammed against walls and Virgil knew the worst was about to reach them. An almighty roar filled the air and Gordon felt like he could almost reach out and touch the sound, like it would be palpable because of the intensity of the noise as it surrounded them. Glass shattered inwards as the windows gave way to the winds, showering the brothers in shards. John felt like tiny knives were digging into his cheek as he shielded Alan from the blast and winced as he tasted blood. The flyers that had covered the floor spiralled around the room like tiny paper tornadoes, spinning and slicing into skin as they passed. The brothers huddled together as the chairs and tables against the windows tumbled down and splintered on the floor beside them. That was when all hell broke loose.

Plaster began to peel from the walls as the force of the hurricane rose and shook the building, revealing the snakes of electrical wires beneath the surface. The wires were torn from their clips and flailed wildly in the air as the winds picked up. Blue, red and brown wires fractured, their exposed metal whipping at the floor and walls like reeds in the ocean, causing sparks to fly. Something was leaking from a pipe running along the bottom of the wall and whatever it was was flammable. The spark bit into the liquid and flames _whooshed_ into the room, huge and angry. The fire spread upwards and outwards, a wall that would certainly encase the room and the brothers if they stayed where they were. John pulled Alan to his feet and all four of them kept close to the opposite wall as they headed for the staircase. Perhaps getting higher would keep them from the fire and debris.

No such luck.

As they climbed the staircase an earth-shaking _BOOM!_ took out the side of the stairwell, exposing the brothers to the street outside and the barrage of flying cars and glass and god knows what else that was being whipped around by the winds. Virgil pulled Gordon to his feet and started to shove him firmly up the stairs; the upper floors were untouched and looked safer than their current location in the open wound of the building and so he guessed that being up there would be better than nothing. Before he could push on any further, a fireball so huge and loud that it sent tremors down their bodies exploded from a gas station down the street. Fire burped into the air and caught in the funnel of a smaller twister that had formed in the wind. It wound upwards until the entire tornado was on fire, setting trees alight as it flopped and turned along the street. A nearby car was pulled into it and exploded as it hurtled into a flower shop, sending petals and leaves floating around like colourful snow.

John felt his hair tug in the direction of the tornado and knew it was soon going to be upon them. If they were caught anywhere near it then they would surely be pulled into it with no way out.

"We need to get further into the building!"

It was too late when John saw the car hurtling towards them. Before he could react it hit the stairwell a couple of steps beneath them and took out the entire bottom portion of the staircase. The handrail disintegrated beneath their hands, making them stumble and bump into each other, and Gordon and Virgil clambered to the next floor on their hands and knees. Alan had fallen behind a little when the wall had imploded and now, with nothing to hold onto with his good hand, he slipped. His legs dangled over the edge of the remaining stairs and John grabbed him firmly by the wrist. Months on end in space wasn't exactly a workout for the muscles, however, and soon the youngest Tracy was slipping from his grasp.

"Virgil! Grab him!"

Perhaps ten seconds passed and suddenly John, Virgil and Alan were lying in a heap at the top of the stairs. Virgil had lived up to his reputation of being the strongest brother and yanked his siblings up the stairs, one in each arm like some kind of weird wrestler. He lay out of breath under them, arms still tightly wrapped around their waists until Gordon spoke up from the end of the hall.

He was looking out of the window, towards the fire-tornado that had just been born before their very eyes.

"Err, guys? That twister is coming this way."


	4. Whirlwind

**Chapter Four: Whirlwind**

At Gordon's words Virgil pushed his brothers off of himself and went to join him at the window. The scene outside was one of utter chaos; buildings were being torn down, streetlights and cars littered the street and the fiery tornado was moving ever closer to where they'd taken shelter. There was no way down from that floor other than the elevator and Virgil knew that it would be the decision of an idiot to use such a thing in a situation like the one they were currently in. They had no choice but to sit and wait once more in the hopes that the town hall could take the onslaught.

John and a very shivery Alan joined their brothers at the window, the latter sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. He felt _broken_. Not only because of his growing fever and aching shoulder but because of losing Scott. Blaming himself seemed like something his big brother would have gotten angry about had he been there but the young blond couldn't help but feel like it was his fault he was gone. Another shiver shook his bones and he suddenly felt like he might pass out, the room spinning and whirring around him. With a trembling, damp hand Alan tugged at John's suit and his oldest brother knelt down beside him, aquamarine eyes filled with worry and pity.

"How're you feeling, Squirt?"

He hadn't called him that in a _long_ time but the overwhelming sensation of having to protect his siblings was at the forefront of John's mind and he couldn't help but let the pet name slip out.

"Cold," was Alan's whispering reply.

Gently, John felt his brother's forehead, which seemed to be burning through the fabric of his glove, and turned to Virgil, who was still pressed up against the window.

"Is there somewhere safer we can go?"

Virgil shrugged, keeping his eyes glued on the carnage outside.

"If there is we can't get there through _that_."

"Think it's going to hit us?" Gordon asked as he squinted towards the burning whirl of wind that was destroying the town beneath them.

Before anyone could answer, the tornado, which seemed to have grown in size since it had been set alight, made a u-turn and headed straight towards them. Being members of International Rescue meant that their reaction time was faster than ordinary civilians but nothing could have prevented the town hall from the utter devastation of the winds and flames that suddenly engulfed it.

The window where they had been standing blew outwards in a shower of shards and bricks and the entire side of the building seemed to buckle and collapse. Virgil managed to drag Gordon out of the way and they landed harshly on the floor a few feet back from the edge, staring helplessly as the burning gale began to rip apart the bricks and mortar like candy floss. When the wall had collapsed, John had sprawled himself on top of Alan in the hopes of keeping him from harm but some of the bricks had shattered next to them and he now lay next to the teen, unconscious and bleeding profusely from his temple. Alan was trying desperately to rouse him but nothing was working and the flames were almost upon them. He didn't want to, _couldn't_ lose another brother.

The floor that Alan and John were sitting on suddenly lifted, splintering like an old ship, splitting them apart. John's unconscious body slipped down to the floor below and Alan scrambled to try and find something to hold on to. There was nothing but slippery wood, though, and he skidded downwards. Virgil tied himself to one of the larger pipes on the opposite wall using one of his grappling wires and tried to reach his brothers in time but the pipe wasn't strong enough and buckled under his weight.

"Alan!"

The youngest Tracy could only watch with wide eyes as he slipped down onto the broken staircase, now completely exposed to the weather and bedlam that was happening in the street. Wind so strong that it pulled him off his feet whipped at his face and began to pull him out of the building, towards the approaching fire-funnel. The sling was torn from his arm and zoomed through the air like a torpedo as the twister sucked it into its depths. _That'll be me soon_ , he thought and desperately tried to find something to hold on to. Broken pipes spewed geysers of water into the air, which turned to steam as it touched the edges of the fiery portal, and sparks of electricity sprinkled around Alan as he felt himself being tugged and dragged further towards it. There was nothing he could do. His brothers were too far away, he was too weak to hold onto anything and Mother Nature herself had decided that it was his time. He closed his big blue eyes and tried to picture Scott's face; he wasn't a religious person but he did like to think that maybe there was a way he could see his brother when he died. Maybe he'd be waiting for him wearing some sort of gown or toga, like a Greek god from one of John's books. That brought a smile to his face, the thought of Serious Scott in some weird get-up.

"What're you smiling about, Squirt?"

Alan shrugged at the disembodied voice, which sent a shooting pain down his arm.

"Hey!"

The teen felt his shoulders being shaken and opened his eyes, squinting as dust blew around his face. Another face was staring down at him, big blue eyes filled with concern.

"John?" Alan croaked.

No, not John. John's eyes weren't _that_ blue. Who then?

Alan sat up so violently that he thought he might have dislocated his shoulder for the second time that day. His head spun and it took him a moment to find his balance. He wasn't lying on the ground or burnt up into tiny pieces, he was sprawled awkwardly against someone's body and from the momentum he could feel, they seemed to be in a vehicle of some kind, moving pretty fast. More carefully this time, so as not to remove his shoulder from its socket, Alan looked up at his rescuer.

 _Ah,_ Alan thought, _I've died. At least it wasn't painful._

"Sorry." It was all he could think to say. After all, he had been the cause of his death, if it wasn't for him Scott would still be alive.

"What for?"

"You died because of me."

"Did I now?"

Without warning, Alan's rescuer poked him in the shoulder, hard enough to make the youngster yelp in pain.

"If we were dead would you feel that?"

Realisation dawned on Alan like a balloon popping above his head; emotions sprinkled down from it like rain. Relief. Joy. Heartache. And finally an unrestrained urge to touch his brother just to make sure that he was real. With a hand that was trembling so much he almost missed his target, Alan touched Scott's bruised face. His left eye was almost swollen shut and he had a deep slash along his jaw but he was still _Scott_. Bruised and battered but _alive_.

"Scotty?" The word came out as more of a choked gasp and tears trickled through the dirt on his cheek.

Scott nodded and gave his signature lopsided smile, dimples deepening as he did so. He pulled Alan closer to him as he guided their transport around a fallen streetlight and turned back towards the town hall. He had managed to salvage the motorbike Brains had incorporated into Thunderbird S's cockpit and used it to grab Alan as he hurtled towards the flaming tornado just moments before. He had to admit it was a smooth ride and he made a mental note to compliment the inventor on his craftsmanship when they got home. There was no doubt in his mind that they would make it back to Tracy Island. All of them.

The worst of the storm seemed to be fading, or at least passing to another part of the country, and the flaming tornado coughed and spluttered before completely disintegrating over a row of houses a few blocks away. _The hurricane must have taken another path, away from the mainland_ , Scott thought, thankful for small mercies. The wind was still gale force, enough to tilt the bike back and forth like a paper crane but the whirlwinds and explosions looked like they had stopped. For now anyway.

"How?" Alan shifted on the seat made for one and looped his arms tighter around his brother so as not to fall from the bike, "How are you alive? I thought you'd-" he was cut off by his own sobbing and Scott wished he could let go of the steering to wrap his littlest brother in the tightest hug known to man. Instead he pulled Alan closer with one arm whilst using the other to steer.

"I'll tell you later. Let's just say I'm glad Thunderbird 1 fell when she did."

"I'm glad you're not dead."

"Me too, little brother."

The bike skidded to a halt next to the dilapidated town hall and the brothers dismounted it quickly, Alan still firmly clinging on to Scott like a limpet. He wasn't going to let him out of his sight any time soon. Now that they'd gotten off the bike and were standing next to one another, Alan could see Scott's entire lanky frame. His suit was torn in multiple places, exposing bruised skin and blood in some places. His usually coiffed hair was matted with blood and dust and he looked like he was favouring his right leg. For all Alan cared, he could be walking on his hands. The fact that he was safe and living was more than he could have asked for.

The eldest let his eyes assess the damage to the building and immediately calculated the best way to go about getting his brothers out. The bricks may have made for a sturdy bunker were it not for the age of the building and the force of the storm. He turned to Alan, who had resigned to simply holding onto Scott's forearm, and for the first time noticed how utterly worn out he looked; his eyes were sunken and his cheeks were on fire, sweat dripping down his temples. They had more to worry about currently, however, and he turned off his 'Smother Hen' mode to try and concentrate on getting the others out of the crumbling hall and into somewhere safer.

"Which floor were they on?"

Alan pointed to the gaping hole on the first floor, "That one. But I think John fell further down."

Scott's eyebrows rose, " _John's_ here? Why?"

Alan shrugged, temporarily showing his mischievous side, even if it was only a slight glimpse, "Said he came down to save us or something. He's not doing a very good job of it."

"So _he_ brought Thunderbird S, not Kayo."

Scott was thankful that their 'sister' wasn't anywhere near the storm.

A tuft of coppery blond hair peeked over the edge of the crumbling first floor and Gordon waved down to Alan. The way he was standing so precariously on the edge meant that he was concentrating more on not falling than taking in the scene below him and so he flinched when Scott called up to him.

"Gordon Cooper Tracy you get back from that edge! You'll fall!"

Just the sound of his brother's voice made him topple forwards and it was only with the help of Virgil that he didn't roll out of the building and splatter on the street below. Virgil peered over his shoulder to see what his reaction had been about and fell to his knees when his dark eyes fell upon Scott.

"Look!" Alan pointed at Scott as he shouted over the roaring winds, "He's not dead!"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" Gordon chastised but the ear to ear grin on his face remained plastered on and his pale brown eyes sparkled with tears of relief.

"Where's Johnny?!" Scott bellowed.

Virgil took a few seconds to get his voice back, strained and hoarse from crying.

"He fell! He's knocked out down there somewhere!" He pointed to the rubble that was now the staircase and ground floor.

"Can you two get down from there?!" Scott was already heading towards the rubble, almost sure that Virgil would have some way to get down.

The middle brother gave a thumbs-up and dragged Gordon away from the edge, back into the crumbling building. He used his initiative and tied their grappling wires together so that it was long enough for them to abseil down the side of the town hall and attached it firmly to one of the support beams that was jutting out of the plaster. Scott was already digging when his brothers joined him and almost fell face-first into the bricks and dust when they tackled him from behind in a lung-squeezing hug.

"Good to see you, bro," Virgil wiped a tear from his eye and slapped a heavy hand on his big brother's back, "You scared us for a minute there."

Recovering from the bear-like slap to the back, Scott gave each of his siblings a quick neck-hug and pointed towards the staircase. The top half of it was still intact and he could just make out a crop of messy red hair peeking out beneath it, like a tiny flame in the debris.

"John's under there, we need to get him out before it collapses on top of him."

In silence the four brothers, well Alan _tried_ to help but he was fading fast and Scott was worried he was going to collapse any minute, set to work clearing the bricks and rubble. They were almost within arm's reach of the astronaut when a familiar scent entered Gordon's nostrils and a muted roar made him turn around. From where they were in the centre of the town they could _just_ make out the beach and shoreline and now, as the aquanaut squinted through the wind and dust that was flying through the air, it seemed as though the sea was coming in. Fast. He realised what he'd smelt was the ocean; salt and brine and the fresh 'oceany' smell that he would recognise anywhere.

"Um, Scott?" Gordon muttered as Scott tilted his head to listen, still digging with his hands, "Can hurricanes cause tsunamis?"

The eldest sibling shrugged and continued his digging, "I don't know. We'll ask John when we get him-"

Hands stopped digging and big blue eyes turned slowly to follow Gordon's gaze. The ocean was coming towards them. That was the only way his brain could process what he was seeing. A wall of water about one hundred feet high and rising with every approaching inch was hurtling towards them. It roared like an untamed beast as it took down trees and fences and the brothers watched helplessly as it ploughed through the houses on the edge of the town, about half a mile away.

"Oh, for pete's sake."


	5. Saving Graces

**Chapter Five: Saving Graces**

Scott Tracy watched as Alan closed his eyes and tried to force his little brother's fear to the back of his mind. By cutting his wire he was going to save little Allie's life and that was all that mattered. He could feel tears flowing freely down his cheeks and was thankful he'd asked Alan to look away, he didn't want his brother's last memory of him to be of him weeping. Alan was brave, he knew that, but Scott was sure his sibling would somehow blame himself for his death; he always seemed to find a way to turn the blame onto himself and it was a habit that their father had tried to shake from him ever since they were small. _Too late now_ , Scott thought as he pressed the laser cutter to the thin wire holding him onto Alan.

Several emotions rushed through his body as he began to freefall towards the rocky beach below; fear for his brother's life, pride for his own brave decision, a twinge of jealousy towards his living brothers and finally hope that there would be something waiting for him when his life winked out. He vaguely observed Alan leaping to safety and then the sky was suddenly blocked from view as Scott's precious Thunderbird came hurtling towards him. _Ironic_ , he thought, _To be taken out by the very thing I use to rescue people._ He could sense the ground coming up to meet him as his hair whipped around his face, body spinning in lopsided loops and awkward circles as the pilot braced for the moment his body would connect with the solid, sandy beach.

It didn't happen.

Instead, Scott slammed _hard_ into something that echoed metallically around him. The breath was pushed from his lungs with so much force that he thought maybe he'd smash into fragments, like glass, and he was sure he felt some ribs crack and splinter. He hadn't stopped moving, however, and continued to _clang_ and _clatter_ around like a ragdoll in a tin can; something smacked into his eye, making him temporarily blind as stars filled his vision, and then there was fire. Fire burning his suit on his left leg and eating into the skin beneath. Suddenly a thunderous _BOOM!_ filled his senses and the world went black.

What seemed like only moments but which were in fact several hours passed and Scott finally opened his eyes. Well, opened as much of them as he could; the skin around his left eye had swollen up, forcing the eyelid closed. Cold was the first thing he noted. Cold and damp. But somehow alive. He knew he wasn't dead simply by the fact that his body ached so much, surely death would be much more numbing? With the grace of a three legged horse, Scott sat upright in an attempt to grasp where he was and what exactly had occurred to prevent his untimely demise.

Somehow, miraculously, he was inside Thunderbird 1. The familiar polished metal and red levers were like a second home to him and he would have recognised it anywhere, anytime. Sure, she was battered and bruised – much like himself – and she probably wouldn't fly again but she was _his_ and had somehow saved him from certain death.

"She must have fallen beside me and I fell into her," he shook his head, cheeks dimpling in the way they always did when he smiled, and he patted the cold harsh metal floor beside him, "Always looking out for me, huh?"

Water lapped at his feet and for the first time, Scott noticed how utterly destroyed his craft was. The entire right side was gone, torn off and scattered across the beach. Where he sat currently, in what was left of the cockpit, smoke billowed out and the glass from the viewing window was completely gone. The entire back portion of the 'bird, thrusters and all, was nowhere to be seen and only a huge gaping hole remained. Scott could see the ocean through the gap as it continued to move towards him in ever increasing waves, licking at his feet like a dog and teasing at his burnt leg as the salt soaked into his suit. The pain brought him from his reverie and he stood, albeit extremely awkwardly, and hobbled out of Thunderbird 1 into the storm outside.

"Right," the leader of International Rescue nodded his head and tried his best to look prepared for what was to come, "Let's get to work."

* * *

 _[Super short chapter, I know, but I just wanted to give some info on how Scott survived!_

 _I'll also take this chance to thank everyone who's reviewed/favourited/followed! It means the world to me that people actually like my writing, thank you!]_


	6. Beneath the Waves

**Chapter Six: Beneath the Waves**

"We need to get John out of there, _now!_ "

Scott ignored the biting sensation in his right leg as the fabric of his suit aggravated the burnt flesh beneath it and turned his back on the fast-approaching onslaught of water. The four brothers dug furiously at the rubble, desperately trying to free John before the town was submerged. Even Alan helped, despite his feigning stamina and blurred vision.

Aquamarine eyes slowly opened to stare straight at what he assumed was a wall of cement. For a moment John thought he'd been buried alive, concealed beneath mountains of bricks and metal, but his shadow proved otherwise and when he tilted his head to his left, he was able to just make out the tops of his brothers' heads. Virgil's ebony locks bobbed up and down as he picked up large bricks and threw them over his shoulder like they were made of foam. Gordon's blond hair shimmered in the brightening sky, revealing the more coppery tones to match the astronaut's own. The paler blond of Alan's head was a good deal lower down than his brothers' due to his small stature but John could tell he too was trying his best to free his big brother, never one to be outdone by his siblings. There was another head moving up and down behind the mountain of rubble, too, and although it looked more like a bird's nest than his eldest brother's usual style, John knew it immediately as Scott's. He opened his mouth to shout but the movement of the rubble had sent dust into the air and the astronaut inhaled a huge gulp of it. Spluttering and cursing under his breath, he tried once more.

"Sc- Scott?!"

He coughed again and a sudden doubt dropped into his stomach. What if it wasn't Scotty? Hadn't Alan said he'd _died_? It seemed much more plausible that his brother was indeed gone and tears pricked John's eyes as he tried to fan away some of the dust cloud that had formed around him.

"John?!" Virgil's booming baritone voice echoed through the small space, "You okay, buddy?"

Another rib-cracking cough.

"I think so!"

"We'll get you out in no time!"

John was certain now; that was definitely Scott's ever-demanding, ever-knowing, ever- _nagging_ voice. The redhead smiled and watched as the mountainous pile of debris suddenly buckled and crumbled around him like a game of jenga, sending up another cloud of dust into the air. It took him a moment to rub the grime from his eyes and then there they were, all four brothers silhouetted against the clearing skies like heroes from some cheesy 80's film Alan loved to watch. Said brother scrambled over the rubble to give his big brother the second hug of the day.

John smiled lopsidedly, "Steady, Alan, you're making this a habit." He then turned to Scott, battered, torn and exhausted Scott who looked like he should be lying in a hospital bed rather than digging through fallen buildings, "Good to see you, Scooter." Another slip of the nickname tongue.

"You too, Spaceboy."

Scott smiled tiredly and tilted his head back to look behind him, when he turned back to face his family his blue eyes were more urgent.

"Let's get him out, _now_."

With limbs that still felt slightly gelatinous from being in space for months, John shakily tried to stand up. He made it as far as getting onto one knee but his left foot seemed to be lodged between the staircase and one of the adjacent walls. He winced, only now feeling the pain that shot from his toes to his hips as the trapped appendage twisted.

"Foot's stuck!" he choked.

"Scott…" Gordon looked impatient, like he really needed to be somewhere else, which, John thought, was really what all of them must have been feeling.

Big brown eyes filled with concern and was that _fear?_ looked from John to Scott and back again and finally Virgil knelt down beside the brother with which he spent the least amount of time and spoke quickly.

"John, I'm going to pull you free," John opened his mouth to protest but a huge paw was on his shoulder, silencing him, "There's a tsunami. It'll be here in maybe a minute, we need to get you out of here and find higher ground."

With that said, Virgil grabbed his brother under his arms and began to pull with all of his strength. He knew doing so would almost definitely pull the foot free but he also knew that in all likelihood he would break it in the process. A risk he needed to take in order to save his brother's life. Sweat began to bead on John's skin as Virgil tugged on his upper body like he was pulling a weed and the pain began to build in his foot, climbing up his leg in a tendril of sharp ice. About to pass out, John waved his arm in an attempt to pause his sibling and Virgil stopped momentarily.

"What?"

Through gasps, John spoke through gritted teeth, "I'm well and truly stuck. Go and find higher ground I'll be fine."

"OH HELL NO!"

With a burst of sudden adrenaline and uproar, Alan grabbed John's face with both hands and stared into his very soul with those big bright eyes of his, like tiny planets lodged in his skull. He took a breath and settled himself before continuing.

"I am _not_ doing this again! You're either coming with us or we're staying right here with you!"

Silently, shocked by his youngest brother's outburst yet filled with pride for him being so mature, John looked around at the four faces staring back at him; they were nodding, arms folded like their father would do when he had settled on a decision, and John knew that was the end of the argument.

"We'll get you free and-" Virgil was cut off by Gordon's sudden intake of breath.

The aquanaut was suddenly not where he had been standing seconds earlier and instead an enormous surge of water and debris was upon them. The small space where the brother's had been squatting inside the building was now an underwater whirlpool; bricks and mortar swirled around them and huge currents whipped underneath the surface, bashing and pulling the rescuers in all directions. Nowhere seemed _up_ anymore, every direction felt twisted and unreachable and trying to fight the current only made things worse. Inside the water, cars and streetlights were pulled along like a child's toys in the bathtub, swinging and colliding awkwardly with everything in sight, pulling more stone from the walls and pinning parts of the fallen rubble and debris into the gaping hole that was once the supporting wall. Something seemed impossibly deafening yet indescribably intangible and it seemed to corrupt the senses as it roared louder and louder with each passing moment.

Scott was swept off his feet and pulled under the water before he knew the wave was so close; his sore ribs clanged against something solid and he was suddenly upside down, twirling and tumbling through the water. He gasped involuntarily and inhaled a large amount of the dirty liquid, causing his lungs to burn like he'd just breathed in fire. Arms flailing wildly, he managed to grab onto a rough piece of wood, _the door_ he thought, and clambered on top of it, finally reaching breathable air above the surface of the water. He was shaking and it was a struggle to breathe deeply but he was otherwise unharmed. Not that any of that mattered to the brave leader of International Rescue, no what was most important was the safety of his brothers, his _family._ Tired eyes searched the immediate area for any sign of his siblings but the rush of water was still too much and before long it had dragged him out into the street, bobbing along on the door like a makeshift raft. Scott held on tight, riding the waves like Gordon had taught him back home, only now it wasn't on a surfboard and the water certainly wasn't _safe_.

For a brief moment, Virgil felt like he was falling; falling through the air, no, more like falling through syrup. Lumpy syrup. When the water had cascaded on top of them he had been clinging on to John's shoulders, ready to yank him free but the sheer mass of sea that had converged on the building was even too strong for the muscle of International Rescue. He was torn from his contact with John and sent hurtling through the water like a rag doll, tossing and spinning uncontrollably through the whirling mess that had been the building just seconds before. Virgil had always been the weakest swimmer of the family. Sure, he wasn't _terrible_ at it and he could pull and drag things three times his weight in the water if he needed to but he was pretty slow. When he was younger he'd always complain that Gordon was somehow cheating when they raced in the family pool but it was Virgil's sheer bulk that seemed to slow him down. Where Gordon was a swordfish, piercing the water as he zoomed through it with ease, Virgil was more of a killer whale – strong but not the fastest. Now, as he twisted and clanged about under the water, he wished he had taken more notice during their underwater training and not left it all to Gordo.

Chocolate eyes squinted into the water; it was like swimming in a kitchen sink or maybe a washing machine as debris and dust made seeing almost impossible. Somewhere in there were his brothers and it almost brought physical pain to Virgil as he knew they were so close but he couldn't do a damn thing to help them. The need for oxygen soon overtook his searching, however, and he frantically flapped his arms to try and reach the surface. The air tasted like smoke and iron but it was a welcome relief and after coughing up most of the water he'd swallowed, Virgil was able to get his bearings. The ceiling was no longer high above him, the weight of the water must have caused it to cave in and his hair now brushed against it, leaving only a foot or two between the rising seawater and the brickwork. He knew it was only going to get worse and he needed to be outside before that happened, along with all of his brothers.

"Virg?"

It was Gordon. His head was bobbing up and down about ten metres from Virgil and the breathing space seemed even narrower where his younger brother was, his chin was resting on the surface of the water whereas Virgil's shoulders were above the surface. The fish quickly darted to his brother's side and pointed into the water and over to where he'd surfaced.

"John's over there!"

Virgil's face paled, "Let's get him out then!"

Gordon shook his head and droplets of ice water flicked onto Virgil's face, "He's still pinned but I gave him my oxygen tank and mask so he's able to breathe at least."

"And Scott and Alan? Have you seen them?"

Again a shake of the aquanaut's head, "Haven't seen them. Maybe they got out?"

With that thought in his mind, Virgil took a deep breath and followed Gordon back under the water towards where John was floating like a reed caught under a rock.

* * *

When the water had suddenly burst into the building, John's first thought was ' _Oh, perfect. Just another day with International Rescue,'_ shortly followed by ' _Why didn't I stay in space?'_ The thoughts only lasted a few seconds, however, as he felt Virgil's hands torn from his shoulders and icy water cocoon his entire body. He was pulled this way and that, his trapped foot crunching and cracking with each jerk of his body but never quite releasing. The sensation of floating there as various pieces of brick and debris floated past him was nostalgic in a way, he felt like he was back on Thunderbird 5 in zero gravity, the only difference being the lack of oxygen that was quickly becoming less of an annoyance and more of a panic-filled drill burrowing into his chest.

Everything was going black when something was suddenly shoved into his mouth, almost making him choke on his own tongue, and the sweet taste of bottled O2 was abruptly filling his lungs and clearing his vision. He squinted through the murky water only to come face to face with Gordon, who looked ever at peace in the water, even in such extenuating circumstances. The younger sibling gave him a 'thumbs-up' and then quickly darted upwards and out of sight, like a fish that had been disturbed by a larger predator.

John watched now as two pairs of blue-clad legs dangled above him; the other pair were stockier than Gordon's and the astronaut immediately recognised them as Virgil's. The eldest and youngest siblings were nowhere to be seen and once again John found himself cursing his lack of radar. A couple of minutes passed and then Gordon was once again by his side; the blond was making odd gestures with his hands and John found himself wishing he'd paid more attention during their underwater training, and then Gordon's eyebrows went still and his hands stopped moving. With trained nimbleness, he tapped a button on the side of the oxygen tank John was currently using and slammed his hand down on it. A red pulsing light indicated that the air was almost completely drained and John had maybe two minutes left of oxygen.

Gordon returned to the air pocket above them, which had shrunk considerably since the last time he'd surfaced, and grabbed Virgil's arm, pulling him back underwater without even explaining why. His brother followed obediently, knowing that in the water, Gordon was the _only_ person he needed to take notice of. The boy practically lived in the sea and he seemed to be genuinely upset if there was ever a day he couldn't spend some time in the wet mass.

Gordon stopped beside John and Virgil saw the problem. He took no time to formulate a plan and instead hooked his hands under the astronaut's arms and pulled as hard as he could. At the same time, Gordon kicked at the rubble pinning his brother down and somehow, miraculously, it gave way. A silent yelp that ended up as an explosion of bubbles erupted from John's mouth as the pressure released on his foot, allowing the full onslaught of pain to make its way up his leg. He went limp for a few seconds as Virgil pulled him to the surface but the sudden sensation of breathable air brought him round again.

Spluttering and with a complexion not unlike a corpse, John breathed in the stale, smoky air and nodded a thanks to his siblings. Virgil still had an arm wrapped around his waist so as to keep him from falling under the water and he held on tight as Gordon dipped underneath to take a look at the astronaut's foot. It looked crooked and swollen, like someone had pumped too much air into the bottom of John's suit, but it wasn't bleeding. He resurfaced and spoke quickly, the water continuing to rise around them.

"Foot's pretty messed up but there's nothing we can do about it right now. We need to get out of here before the water completely fills it up!"

Virgil nodded, "Agreed. Are there any gaps or broken windows we can swim out of?"

"I think I saw one further along that way." Gordon pointed over Virgil's shoulder and they swiftly moved in that direction, both holding onto the semi-conscious John.

There was indeed a broken window and, although it was about five metres beneath them, it was the quickest way out. Virgil pulled John onto his back with ease and dived first; he swam them safely through the window, careful not to catch himself or his brother on the jagged glass and felt the sudden expanse of space as they surfaced in the street.

"You okay, Johnny?"

A feeble nod was his response.

Gordon watched Virgil and John slip through the window and swam down to follow them just as the air pocket bubbled out of existence above him. With a foot placed on the window to propel himself outwards, he turned back to look into the building. Why he did this he didn't know, maybe because he felt the presence of something? Maybe brotherly instinct? Whatever it was, Gordon would be thinking about it for months afterwards. There, tucked behind a pile of chairs and some twisted metal, was a shimmer of red. It wasn't a strip of paper or some fabric from a curtain, no, it was the unmistakable red of Alan's strap.

With legs that seemed to move faster than they ever had before, even when he had competed in the Olympics, Gordon whizzed through the water towards his little brother's floating form.

That's when the ceiling collapsed.


	7. Bubbles

**TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of blood and injury in this chapter!**

 **Chapter Seven: Bubbles**

Virgil struggled to keep afloat as John's semi-conscious, gangly body sagged beside him. The astronaut looked like death warmed up, ginger hair plastered to his pale face and sunken cheeks. If it hadn't been for the fact that Virgil was probably twice as strong and outweighed him by a good twenty pounds, the brothers would have dropped to the bottom of the water like two blue-clad rocks. With his powerful limbs, however, the middle brother managed to keep their heads above the water and looked around for some form of land or floatation device.

The eldest Tracy brother spotted the two drowned rats that were his brothers before they saw him; they looked like they'd literally been dragged from the bottom of the ocean and by the looks of John, something had hindered their way to the surface. Scott quickly paddled the large door he was sitting on towards his siblings and shouted over the splashing and whooshing of the powerful water surrounding them.

"Virg!"

Virgil's head snapped round to look at his big brother and a wave of relief washed over his dripping face, his usual coiffed hair as flat as one of Grandma Tracy's cakes. Silently he swam towards Scott's makeshift raft, dragging John along as best he could, and hurled the astronaut onto it like a fresh catch. The sudden rush of air startled the redhead and his eyes flickered open as he lay on his back on the damp oak. Rain spiked his icy skin as he stared up at the darkened clouds and it took him a few moments to remember where he was and why he felt so _heavy_. ' _No gravity_ ', he thought as a sudden burst of pain bolted up his leg. Scott noticed the pained expression on John's face and helped him sit upright as Virgil pulled himself onto the door.

"You okay, Johnny?"

"Peachy."

With careful hands that would not stop quivering no matter what he did, Scott pulled off the boot on John's broken foot. And broken it was. The fabric from his all-in-one suit had torn away so his brothers could see the pale grey of his damaged foot; his toes were pointed at odd angles, like someone had carved them out of putty and his ankle didn't look like it was in the correct position at all. Not only that but a shard of something sharp and white, like broken porcelain, was jutting out just beside John's Achilles tendon. The entire appendage was covered in gooey blood that stuck to Scott's fingers as he tried to inspect it as tenderly as possible and more of the red liquid was oozing onto the raft as they bobbed along quietly.

Scott looked at Virgil, the 'nurse' of the team, and his response was a deep sigh and an exasperated shrug.

"It's pretty much been blended, bro." Virgil patted John's shoulder with a little too much force, causing the injured brother to teeter slightly, and then smiled his lopsided grin, "But I've seen worse."

"Virg," John's raspy voice was a mere whisper in the storm.

"Like when Alan dislocated his kneecap, man _that_ was gross," Virgil continued his monologue, waving his arms about to exaggerate his point and hoping that his stories would help take John's mind off his mangled foot.

"Virgil-"

"Or when Scotty's appendix burst. Thought he was a goner for _sure_. Or when-"

"VIRGIL!"

The middle sibling's mouth snapped shut and both he and Scott turned to look at the redhead.

"What is it?" Scott's eyebrows knitted together, an expression that wasn't a stranger to the leader's face.

John tilted his head and pointed towards where he and Virgil had surfaced just moments before, "Where's Gordon?"

Scott paled, "Gordon was with you?"

"Yeah," Virgil nodded and now his face resembled Scott's so much that for a moment they looked almost like twins, "He was right behind us."

* * *

Gordon only had a fraction of a second to react as the ceiling above him caved inwards. If he hadn't already been whizzing through the water towards the red sash he would almost definitely have been crushed beneath the falling debris. He had no time to worry about 'what ifs', however, as he sped past the falling rubble, narrowly missing some huge wooden beams as they fell sluggishly through the water. Something sharp sliced into his cheek and he felt the familiar warmth as a trail of blood oozed from his face into the murky water.

Within seconds the aquanaut reached the area where he had seen the red of Alan's sash and, with burning lungs that needed oxygen minutes ago, searched through the debris for his little brother. He was about to give in to his oxygen-deprived body and look for an air pocket when a glimmer of pale, freckle-spotted skin caught his eye.

The youngest brother's unconscious face peered out from beneath a pile of chairs like a mannequin. Pale, unmoving, lifeless. Gordon's first instinct wasn't like his older brothers'; they were used to finding injured people in mortal danger and were always prepared to be calm and resolute. For the aquanaut, however, his missions rarely included another human being and usually consisted of ocean conservation and caring for marine life. If he was being honest with himself, seeing his baby brother devoid of any glimmer of life and floating helplessly in the murky water, all Gordon wanted to do was freak out and shout for his older brothers. That had always been the case when they were small; the 'terrible twins' as he and Alan were known, were always getting into some sort of trouble and one of them always ended up shouting for their big brothers for help. The blond shook his head, now was not the time to be losing it, he was a member of International Rescue for God's sake!

As his vision began to blur and darken due to lack of oxygen – he'd been holding his breath almost three minutes now – Gordon yanked the chairs away from Alan and scooped his little brother up in his arms. He cursed internally for how slow everything seemed under the water, like trying to run in a dream, and forced his exhausted body to swim back towards where Virgil and John had exited the building earlier. There was only one problem: the window was now buried behind heaps of rubble from the ceiling collapse and there didn't seem to be any other means of escape.

Panic started to take hold. Not only was Alan unconscious, and had been for who knows how long, Gordon's lungs were screaming for air and there was no way to satisfy his need. There was a glimmer of light a few metres down from the window where he'd last seen John and Virgil and, with no other option, Gordon pulled his little brother towards it in the hopes that it would be another possible exit. Pale light flickered through the football-sized hole in the crumbling wall, illuminating the slithers of water that it reached and dazzling the aquanaut as his eyes adjusted to the brighter light. The hole seemed just large enough to squeeze out of but the surrounding wall looked like it could collapse at any moment, crushing both he and Alan if they dared to pass through it. With no other choice, Gordon swam closer to the opening and looped a floatation aid around Alan's waist. He pulled the chord and guided Alan's somewhat lifeless body through the wall, careful not to knock any of the bricks that seemed to be simply balancing around it, and watched his baby brother float to the surface. Gordon moved to follow his sibling but before he could pass through the opening a huge wave crashed against the side of the building and the bricks buckled and collapsed around the hole.

Big brown eyes stared at the literal brick wall in his way and Gordon shook his head, smiling despite his predicament. He always knew the water would be his demise some day and he could feel only relief as he knew he'd at least given Alan a _chance_ at survival, even if it meant he would have to stay behind as a result. Ever the optimist, Gordon closed his eyes and spoke silently in his mind, _'Oh well,'_ thought the squid, _'At least I get to swim one last time.'_

* * *

Above the water, the three eldest Tracy brothers were about to embark on a rescue mission, well more of a _search_ and rescue mission as they didn't know where their brothers were. Scott was already in the water, eager to get started, and Virgil and John were still on the floating door, arguing over whether or not John should help. The astronaut was determined that he wanted to help in the search too and was trying to tear off his sleeve in order to make a bandage to wrap around his damaged foot. Virgil wasn't having any of it, however, and kept slapping John's clammy hand away when he tried to pull at the sleeve over and over.

"You'll be more of a hindrance than a help, John!" Virgil shoved John's shoulder forcefully so that the redhead fell back against the wood, "Stay here and keep an eye out in case they come this way!"

Without another word, Virgil joined Scott in the freezing water and they set off back towards the submerged town hall, leaving a still-bleeding John to keep watch over the murky ocean that was now the main street. As two heads disappeared beneath the waves, something else bobbed to the surface a few metres from where they had submerged; John squinted at the object and his aquamarine eyes widened as he suddenly realised what, or rather _who_ , it was.

"Alan!"

He started to paddle frantically towards his youngest brother and fellow astronaut, ignoring the stabbing shards of pain that were piercing his every nerve. Even from a distance, John could tell that he wasn't conscious; Alan's skin looked almost transparent and his mouth was slack. He looked de- NO! John refused to let the thought enter his mind and paddled faster towards his brother. Once close enough, he yanked him onto the door, once again ignoring the brutal crunching of his foot, and lay Alan on his back. He wasn't breathing. And by the looks of him, he hadn't been for some time. The human body can remain without oxygen for only a short time and after that brain damage becomes an issue. These facts were embedded in John's space-filled brain and yet now, as he began compressions on Alan's slim chest, he could not remember exactly how long it was. All of his strength went into pushing down on his sibling's chest, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4. John's breathing was laboured and his muscles felt like they might snap but he continued to press evenly, taking breaks to breathe into Alan's mouth in the hope of filling his lungs with air.

After almost two minutes of continuous resuscitation, John's body was trembling from head to toe and his teeth were chattering. He was freezing, in pain and utterly distraught. Being a member of International Rescue, however, meant not giving up and always putting others before yourself and so he continued his efforts, which were suddenly rewarded with a wet spluttering cough.

"Alan?!"

Shaking hands cupped Alan's head as bright blue eyes looked up at his big brother.

"Jo-" he spluttered and gargled as dirty water poured from his mouth, "John."

More water fell onto Alan as John's tears flowed freely down his face and dripped onto the younger boy like rain. For a moment they simply held one another, John cupping Alan's head to his chest like an overprotective mother, until Alan finally rasped,

"Okay, okay. I though Scott was Smother Hen, not you!"

John smiled but it turned into more of a wince as his foot twitched, "I'm allowed to be relieved."

"Where are the others?" All of the colour that had started to return to Alan's face suddenly drained as he propped himself up on his elbows to look around at the destroyed town. He didn't want to hear the answer if it was going to be something terrible.

"Scott and Virgil went to find you and Gordon…"

Before Alan could air his concerns, the two brothers returned from their search. Alone. Not five seconds passed and already Alan couldn't breathe again, what with Virgil and Scott crushing him in a two-brother hug that almost cracked his ribs. The warmth was pleasant, however, and Scott seemed to realise this, holding his arms around his little brother even as he turned on 'leader' mode.

"We can't find Gordon. I think he must be still in the town hall."

Virgil clenched his fists and slammed them down on the wood of their makeshift raft, "The hole where John and I swam out has been blocked and we can't see any other way in." He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes and grumbled, "If only I had TB2, I could lift the whole freaking building away!"

Scott squeezed Virgil's broad shoulder and frowned as he glared into the water, wishing that he could somehow see all the way through it, like x-ray vision. At his side, Alan continued to shiver and Scott was pretty sure he was going to get - if he didn't already have it - hypothermia if they stayed out in the open for too long. John too looked closer to passing out with every passing second, his skin paler than usual and his eyes losing focus every few blinks. Tough decisions were what made Scott the leader and, although they were the worst part of his job, they had to be made.

"We need to get indoors and get dry," he saw three faces start to protest but raised his hand and continued, "Gordon's the one who knows the water best. If there's a way out, he'll find it."

"And if there's not?"

Alan was looking up at his eldest brother, big blue eyes like pools of sunlight that seemed to be begging for a positive answer, anything that would perk their spirits even a little. That last glimmer of hope was all they had at that moment and Scott sure as hell wasn't going to take that away from any of them. He ruffled the blonde's hair and painted a smile on his face that felt like wearing his grandmother's lipstick.

"There will be, don't worry."

* * *

Beneath the water, behind the crumbled wall and debris, Gordon Tracy's vision went black and a final bubble of air escaped his throat, floating to the ceiling like a soul, finally free of its body.


	8. FAB

**Chapter Eight: FAB**

"Do you feel that?"

Scott helped Alan into the crumbled ruins of the post office as Virgil scooped John up like a bride and set him down on a table top away from the broken glass that had once been the window. The building wasn't 100% stable but it was dry inside and seemed to be withstanding the onslaught of weather. A rumbling sensation was making the eldest brother's body tremble and for a moment he thought it might just be him, his body finally catching up with the day's events and giving in. However, Virgil shared the same look of concern as the rumbling grew louder and the shards of glass on the floor started to dance.

"What is that?" Virgil asked, "More water? Another hurricane?"

Scott shook his head, "No, I don't think so. It's not strong enough. Whatever it is, it's _beneath_ us."

Shivering and practically asleep where he stood, Alan moved next to John who was lying on the table and trying to prop himself upright with his remaining strength. The effort was futile, however, and the astronaut finally gave up and lay back, staring at the cracked paint on the ceiling. The cracks and shapes in the paint reminded him of his view from up on Thunderbird 5, of the Earth below, spinning ever so slowly and peacefully and always there when he needed to be reminded that he wasn't ever alone. If only he'd stayed up there, he wouldn't be dealing with the tremendous pain in his foot. ' _No'_ , he shook his head and turned to look at his youngest sibling, ' _If I hadn't come down, I might not have saved Allie'_. He lifted a feeble arm and ruffled the blonde's hair lovingly as Scott gathered some dry clothes he'd found in the storeroom. They looked like something their grandfather would have worn: woollen jumpers, flat caps and huge coats that seemed to be purposefully made of a material that was designed to irritate the wearer's skin as much as possible. The brothers each took what they were given, though, and felt themselves starting to warm up immediately.

"Right," Scott removed the large brown jacket he'd had on momentarily and stretched his arms, "I'm going to look for Gordon."

Virgil was on his feet immediately, "But you said-"

A blue-eyed glare silenced Virgil and Scott turned for the doorway, "I'll bring him back."

As the eldest stepped over the broken glass and through the window that was now the door, the rumbling intensified and something huge and bright whizzed through the water beneath him. At first he thought it might be some kind of fish, swept in with the tide, but he didn't know of any fish that was that shape and size. No, this was a machine and damn, it was _fast._

* * *

Gordon Tracy thought that he'd taken his last breath almost a minute ago. His aquanaut lungs, however, thought differently. Yes, his body ached and his lungs _burned_ but he wasn't done fighting yet. As much as his brain was telling him that there was no way out and any effort spent looking for an exit would be fruitless, his body refused to listen. Something was throbbing in his forehead and his vision was like looking though a black mesh, not to mention the fact that he was beyond freezing and couldn't even feel his extremities anymore. How long had he been holding his breath? Five, six minutes? His record was almost eleven minutes but that was back on Tracy Island in the safety of the pool with his brothers ready to yank him out of the water if he looked like he might drown. What with the temperature of the water and the fact that he'd been moving around so much, Gordon was pretty much spent. His arms and legs wouldn't cooperate anymore and he could feel himself drifting ever downwards both physically and mentally as the water won the battle.

There was an odd vibration in the water around him, like someone had placed a huge loudspeaker in the water and started to play some sort of drum and bass; he could feel it rippling around his suit with more and more pressure. Something was approaching rapidly. As his slim body began to convulse, finally giving in, the wall in front of Gordon that had been blocking his way to freedom suddenly burst open like a bomb had exploded right behind it. The force sent the blonde spinning backwards and he slammed hard against some rubble, his mouth gaping as more precious air left his lungs. _'Typical',_ he thought as his eyes closed, _'The exit opens up and I don't have the energy to swim out.'_

* * *

"Brace yourself, M'Lady, it might get a little bit bumpy."

Parker pulled the lever in FAB1, accelerating the vehicle to its highest speed and making it _zoom_ through the water like a torpedo. In her pastel pink trouser suit, Lady Penelope clicked her seatbelt into place and gripped the seat firmly with well-manicured hands. She'd noticed something was off when she hadn't heard from any of the Tracy brothers for over eight hours; usually Scott would check in with information from the island or John would have something to report. The lack of communication may have been marked down to the team simply being busy had it not been for Grandma Tracy calling Lady P with an air of panic in her usually calm voice. The older lady said that she was in England visiting friends but when she'd tried to contact her grandsons there'd been no sign of them, not even John could be contacted. That's when Penelope had called Parker.

Of course the storm hadn't helped at all and she and Parker had had to wait until the hurricane had passed until they could even approach Japan but once the tsunami hit all reason was abandoned and Parker used to opportunity to utilise the car's underwater abilities. The trackers which the team used to monitor vital signs and locate one another were also connected to FAB1 in case of emergencies and for once, Lady Penelope was pleased that Brains had been so insistent on adding the little extra.

With Gordon's vital signs looking the worst, Parker made a bee-line for his beeping dot that was flashing dimmer and dimmer on the dashboard and located him just behind a crumbled building in the centre of the town. There didn't seem to be any other options or any _time_ to formulate any sort of coherent plan and so Parker simply 'put his foot down' and rammed into the crumbling wall with all the power the submersible car could muster. The bricks exploded inwards and an almighty _BOOM_ echoed through the water as dust filled the space, making it almost impossible to see anything. As it cleared, however, a single floating being could be seen swaying limply in the underwater prison, eyes closed and motionless. Without hesitation, Parker swam out of FAB1 and scooped Gordon into his arms before quickly returning to the car.

"Oh my word!"

Penelope brushed Gordon's hair from his face and leaned closer to him, checking for a pulse. It was faint but it was there, beating beneath his greyish skin. She would never admit the huge amount of relief that washed over her as she felt the tiny movement of blood beneath the aquanaut's skin and Parker took sudden interest in Gordon's boots when the Lady wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

Gordon could feel the instant he was out of the water but couldn't seem to get his body to respond. The sudden rush of warmth he felt encase his body like a blanket was a welcome relief from the icy water and his muscles began to relax one by one as he absorbed the heat. He could smell jasmine and something sweet like candy but not quite. It was a familiar fragrance but his oxygen deprived mind couldn't place where he'd smelled it before, making him even more annoyed that he couldn't just 'wake up' and look around. Someone said something next to his face but it was muffled, perhaps because of the _ocean_ that seemed to be flooded inside his ears. At the end of his tether and more curious to figure out where he was and just who his saviour had been, Gordon forced all of his attention onto his eyes, finally managing to force his eyelids open just a crack. The face he saw peering down at him was one of beauty and knocked the breath right out of him just as the water had.

Lady Penelope was poised over the young Tracy's handsome face where a thin slash was oozing blood, the other resting on his chest, and she leaned down to begin resuscitation when coffee-coloured eyes fluttered open and Gordon grinned drunkenly. He coughed, water pouring from his blue lips, but took a moment to try and speak through the spluttering.

"A mer-" another cough, "A mermaid?"

Penelope chuckled and sighed, her shoulders relaxing at the sight of Gordon's open eyes.

"Not quite. Are you okay?"

Gordon's lopsided smirk turned into a full on Cheshire grin as something suddenly dawned on him.

"Lady Penelope, did you give me the kiss of life?" his smile looked odd, what with his blue lips and sunken eyes but charmed nonetheless.

"Not me," Lady Penelope gestured to Parker and the silver fox's jaw fell to the floor, abashed.

"I'll have you know I have not kissed anyone… today!"

Gordon pouted, visibly disappointed that he hadn't received at least a _peck_ from Penelope, but his mind was swiftly brought back to the more urgent matters at hand.

"Alan? Did he make it?"

Without consciously realising he'd done so, Gordon grasped Penelope's hand in his own icy paws as he waited for confirmation of his brother's safety.

"I don't know, Gordon," Lady Penelope patted his hands with her own and smiled warmly, "But I'm sure he's fine. Parker, let's go get the other members of International Rescue!"

Parker was already in the driver's seat, ready to embark, "Of course, M'Lady."

* * *

The water seemed to be getting rougher as Scott bobbed about on the surface, preparing to dive once again and search for his missing brother. He'd been down twice already but something had exploded or fallen near the town hall and had made the water too dusty to see anything. Angry with the murky water and with himself for even _thinking_ of leaving his brother behind, Scott took a deep breath, ready to submerge. A sudden wave knocked him back against a streetlamp and he had to hold on tight as something emerged from the water like some kind of bright pink leviathan. It took him a moment to realise that it was Lady Penelope's car and all he could do was gape, slack-jawed as it puttered to a halt beside the broken window of the post office.

Scott watched as Parker hopped out onto the broken wall that was now the sidewalk and held out his hand for Lady Penelope to follow. Once she was safely out, Parker dipped back into FAB1 and helped out a third person who seemed to be wrapped in foil, like an oven ready turkey. With a tired brain filled with confusion and a body that ached in every possible place, it took Scott almost a full minute to realise that the turkey was in fact Gordon wrapped in a space blanket and to his older brother's utter relief, the squid looked pale but otherwise unharmed.

As quickly as his battered body would take him, Scott swam back to where his brothers were now _all_ located and hoisted himself out of the water. He stepped inside just as the others had turned to look at Gordon's arrival.

Virgil almost knocked Alan out of his chair as he dived for Gordon and lifted him off the ground in a bear hug that knocked the air from his lungs. John gave him a weak thumbs-up as Gordon flopped into a chair beside his younger brother and rested his head on Alan's shoulder.

"Whew, what a day!"

Scott joined his brothers, giving each a loving pat on the head as Lady Penelope warmed them with her glowing smile.

"Well boys, I'm glad to see you're all in one piece," she looked at John's foot where a t-shirt was soaking up a good amount of blood and swallowed thickly, "I think it's time we got you all home, what do you say?"

"FAB."

* * *

Getting into the pink vehicle was easier said than done what with John's mangled foot, Alan's practically unconscious self and the others' battered and bruised bodies. Once inside the luxury limousine, however, an air of calm and relief filled the vehicle. Parker set coordinates for Tracy Island and chose to fly rather than go by sea as it was much faster and safer now that the hurricane had finally passed.

Lady Penelope sat in the front passenger seat, allowing the brothers to fill the rear seats, and fill they did. Virgil's wide, strong form sat in the middle with Alan and Gordon on his left, both of which were already asleep as FAB1 rose into the cloudy sky, and Scott and John sat on his right. John had his long legs laying across both Scott and Virgil's laps and his older brother could tell he was putting on a brave face, in fact Scott didn't quite know how the astronaut was still conscious. He himself was aching all over; his left eye was completely swollen shut now and he definitely had a couple of broken ribs, not to mention his left knee didn't feel like it was in the right position. Scott smiled to himself, who was he to complain when all of his family had made it out alive.

At some point during the ride home Scott must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew, Virgil was shaking his shoulders trying to wake him up. The car had landed safely on Tracy Island just as the sun was setting, sending the entire island into a golden-orange hue that looked almost alight. Virgil scooped up a sleeping Alan - he didn't want to wake him as he looked so peaceful and had a high fever to boot - and carried him into the house, ignoring his aching muscles. The squid of the family followed them closely, shivering and sneezing as he entered the unusually quiet house and Scott heard Virgil tell him to take off his suit immediately so he could get him on a drip and warm him up.

The eldest sibling stretched his arms above his head and moved to stand only to be stopped by John's lanky legs still draped over his lap. Aquamarine eyes beneath a crop of mangled red hair blinked lazily at Scott and John tried to smile but failed as he began to cough instead.

"Come on, let's get that foot sorted."

Scott looped his arm underneath John's and hoisted him out of FAB1 awkwardly. He was strategizing the best way to get him into the house without tripping over or dropping him in the pool accidentally when Parker was suddenly on John's other side, his arm hooked under the redhead's. With a thankful nod, Scott took his brother inside. They had only just reached the lounge when John flopped forward, his body finally giving in to the blood loss and general battering. Virgil seemed to appear out of thin air and helped Scott place him on the sofa before quickly grabbing the medical equipment. He was always the 'nurse' of the family and quickly cut John's suit away from his entire leg to assess the damage; it was bad but nothing incurable. Thunderbird 2's pilot quickly added splints and a cast to the leg as well as giving John a blood transfusion to compensate for the amount he'd lost.

After treating the astronaut, he moved onto Gordon and then Scott, the latter of which was the only one who ever complained when he was being treated. His knee was dislocated and so Virgil popped it back into place after pretending to see something over his brother's shoulder, resulting in a smack on the head from Scott and a stream of profanities. The youngest brother was asleep on the sofa during everyone's 'treatment' and only stirred when Virgil woke him to give him some medicine for his fever. Baby blue eyes looked tiredly around the lounge at his older brothers; they looked like they'd just returned from an epic battle which, if he thought about it, they had.

The medicine took effect quickly and soon Alan was back in a deep sleep, dreaming of whirlpools and fiery tornadoes and his four big brave brothers.


	9. Repairs

**Chapter Nine: Repairs**

It was around five thirty in the am when Scott stirred from his slumber and opened his one good eye. The first thing he noticed was that his entire body felt like it was made of broken glass; his left eye was forced closed by his swollen cheek and felt like it had been inflated when he pressed gentle fingers to it. His ribs ached and twinged whenever he breathed in and his left knee, although wrapped tightly in an elastic bandage, didn't feel like it was attached to his leg. If he was to sum up his current condition it would be 'battered' to put it mildly.

The sound of soft snores filled the lounge as a faint red hue began to fill the sky. All of the brothers had chosen to sleep on the sofas. Scott guessed they just preferred being together in times of crisis and he was beyond satisfied with the little habit that had stemmed from when they were all small. Alan must have moved at some point during the night and now lay on the same sofa as Scott, his blonde head resting on his eldest sibling's lap. The youngster was lying on his back so as not to put pressure on his shoulder, which Virgil had said he'd popped back into place rather haphazardly, and Scott stroked Alan's freckled cheek gently, careful not to wake him. Just hours ago he'd thought he was sacrificing his life for his littlest brother and, though pleased it hadn't ended that way, he knew he'd do it again in a heartbeat. Family was the most important thing to Scott and it went without saying that he'd do anything for his brothers.

A soft groan from the couch opposite brought Scott's attention away from the sleeping beauty on his lap and he squinted into the darkness to see a shadowy figure filling the entire sofa with his lanky form. John looked as bad as Scott felt; his cheeks were sunken and he had dark circles under his bright eyes, not to mention his foot – which was now covered in a sturdy cast. Virgil had administered some morphine earlier but it seemed as though it was wearing off, what with the pained expression on the astronaut's pale face. Aquamarine eyes pleaded silently across the space towards Scott and Scott carefully shuffled Alan's head onto the sofa and stood up, albeit a little wobbly. He hobbled over to where John was lying and crouched down beside his face, concern marring his handsome features.

"You okay?" he whispered.

John swallowed thickly as a trickle of sweat wriggled down his temple, "Could do with some pain relief."

Now that Scott was closer he could see that the redhead was trembling from head to foot, his slender fingers holding onto the blanket on top of him so tightly that his knuckles were white.

"Okay," Scott nodded and took a moment to locate Virgil, who was propped up against another part of the sofa on the floor. "I'll ask Virg to get you something."

John nodded thankfully as Scott scooted across the carpet and prodded Virgil in the chest. He woke with a choked snore and looked like he was ready to fight before coming to his senses. Chocolate eyes rimmed with red squinted at Scott.

"What's wrong?" his booming tones echoed in the quiet room and Scott quickly shushed him.

"John needs something for the pain."

Thunderbird 2's pilot was on his feet like a gazelle and quickly disappeared into the medical cabinet before returning with a syringe, which he pushed into John's trembling arm gently. As Virgil worked, Scott remained on his spot on the floor and leant against the sofa where Gordon was snoring softly. He was the only one not still in his suit; Virgil had forced him to strip out of it and change into something warmer but it didn't seem to have done much good. The squid was shivering like mad, making the sofa vibrate with every tremble of his slim body. Feeling useless, Scott forced himself to his feet and awkwardly made his way to Gordon's bedroom before bringing back the blanket from his closet. It was an ugly old woollen thing than Grandma Tracy had knitted for his fifth birthday, with crocheted clown fish all over it. Scott flapped it over Gordon and sighed thankfully when his shivering relaxed to more of a ripple rather than rapids.

About as quiet as a bull in a china shop, Virgil crawled back to his space on the floor and sat beside Scott in the ever fading darkness. Although unharmed generally, he looked exhausted and his head began to nod forwards, eyes drooping with every passing second. Finally, raven hair tickled Scott's cheek as his brother's head lolled onto his shoulder and he began to breathe deeper as sleep overtook him.

Lady Penelope and Parker were nowhere to be seen. They must have left when everyone fell asleep, Scott guessed, and he reminded himself to thank them when he next saw them. He'd be forever grateful to them for saving all their lives. Who knows what would have happened if FAB1 hadn't been there to pluck them from that terror and bring them home.

These thoughts and 'what ifs' were spinning through Scott's mind when he heard the front door push open. He tilted his head to look and saw the familiar silhouette of the ex-con, Parker. Why had he come back? Was there something wrong? Did he forget something?

' _Oh no,'_ Scott groaned internally, _'Much worse.'_

Parker stepped aside to let the older woman through the door and flashed Scott a 'be prepared' look before quickly exiting the house and getting to his car as fast as he could.

' _The wrath of Grandma Tracy'_ , Scott braced himself for the onslaught of reprimanding and ear pinching that he was about to receive.

* * *

Having lived with the boys for many years, Grandma Tracy had seen them in many a pickle. They'd been injured, lost, shot at and even fought amongst themselves sometimes and every time she had been there to patch them up or crack their heads together when necessary. She couldn't remember ever being so _scared_ for them, though, not like she did right in that moment. When she had tried to contact them and had been replied to with nothing but static the pensioner had feared the worst and it had taken all of her strength not to call the GDF and call on an all-out search for her grandsons. Thankfully Lady Penelope had sent Parker in FAB1 to pick her up from London and bring her straight home as no airline would be able to bring her directly to the island and now a wave of relief so large she thought it might knock her down washed over Grandma Tracy as she took in the sight of all five boys safe and sound in the lounge.

They weren't going to get off that easily, however, and the woman in lilac rolled up her sleeves and clicked on the main lights, illuminating the lounge in a bright, invasive radiance that woke the slumbering boys up abruptly.

Scott pushed himself upright and limped over to his grandmother, a false smile plastered on his dimpled face.

"Grandma!"

"Don't you 'Grandma' me young man," she adjusted her glasses and watched as her eldest grandson gulped loudly, "What did you think you were doing going into that storm?!"

"I didn't know it was as big as it was, I-"

"Never, _never_ scare me like that again, you hear?!"

All annoyance had already drained from her and she grabbed Scott by his shoulders, encasing him in a tight hug that made him flinch as his ribs were squeezed. He stepped back from his grandmother with an apologetic look on his bruised face.

"Sorry, Grandma. It was my fault we went there. I thought we could do something but it was so _big_ and-"

A wrinkled finger on his lips silenced him as Grandma Tracy shook her head and ruffled Scott's dusty hair lovingly.

"You were being heroes. It's what you do, I know. No one is to blame, got it?"

He nodded in response and followed Grandma to the sofas where all but one pair of eyes were looking towards her. Virgil had flopped sideways onto the floor when Scott had moved but was in such a deep sleep that he'd just stayed where he'd landed and continued sleeping.

Gordon sat upright and shuffled across to let his grandmother sit beside him. He was still shivering but kept the woollen blanket around his shoulders to keep himself warm, making him look like his five year old self once again. Grandma Tracy touched his cheek carefully where Virgil had taped some gauze over the slash and frowned at the slight blush of blood that was seeping through it.

"Your pretty face got cut?"

Gordon smiled playfully, "It'll heal. I'll be as handsome as ever, don't worry Grandma."

"Well I wouldn't go so far as 'handsome'." She chuckled.

Alan rubbed his eyes and moved to sit on the other side of his grandma, his head immediately resting on her shoulder. His arm was still in a sling and he had a raspy cough but his fever seemed to have diminished and Grandma Tracy gave him a gentle kiss on the head, thankful that the youngster wasn't badly injured. Her attention soon turned to John, who was sprawled out on the sofa opposite like a stranded dolphin, his leg propped up on cushions and the drip on a stand beside him. He certainly _looked_ the worse out of the siblings what with his drooping eyes and pale pallor, and it pained his grandmother to see him in such a state. To say so would only make him feel guilty, however, and so she wore a smile and spoke in lighter tones.

"You finally come down to Earth and this is what happens?" she shook her head and clicked her tongue, "Ever the clumsy spaceman."

John's lips twitched in an attempted smile but the morphine was kicking in and he was soon drifting off to sleep, slack-jawed and finally looking somewhat peaceful and pain free.

Stirred by the familiar soothing voice of his grandma, Virgil yawned loudly and sat upright, leaning against her purple-clad legs.

"I see you're still in one piece, Virgil."

"Sure am," he stretched and his elbow popped, muscles complaining with the movement, "Well, I've been better."

Soft snoring filled the room again as Gordon joined the sleeping club and Scott sat down on the floor beside Virgil. Grandma Tracy rested her hands on Scott and Virgil's tired shoulders and spoke quietly so as not to wake the others.

"And what about the 'birds? Parker said he couldn't see any of them when he picked you all up."

Scott's eyes darkened and his bottom lip jutted out like it had when he was a child and couldn't get his own way.

"One is completely destroyed. She'll have to be rebuilt from scratch."

The delicate hand on his shoulder gripped a little tighter, "Well that just means Brains can make her better than ever, right?" The older lady smiled warmly and turned to Virgil, "And what about Two?"

Virgil shrugged, "Last time I saw her she was in one piece, along with Thunderbird Four, so who knows."

"She's a sturdy old thing, I'm sure she's weathered the storm just fine." Two gentle kisses were placed on her grandson's heads, "And if not, Brains is going to have a great time rebuilding them and adding new features!"

The brothers couldn't help but smile, always grateful for their grandma's ever true words of wisdom. They'd been through so much in such a short time but they were safe and together and that's all that mattered. Their family was once again complete and nothing could take that away from them.

Well, perhaps _something._

John's glassy eyes opened slowly and he coughed before looking at his grandmother and brothers.

"I may need to hide."

Scott looked puzzled, "Why?"

"I kind of totally destroyed Thunderbird S… Kayo's going to kill me."

Quiet laughter echoed through the house, once again making it sound and feel like the family home it was always meant to be and always would be, no matter what.

 **It's a soppy ending, I know! Haha but I wanted it to be /**

 **Thank you so much for reading and reviewing/following etc! It means so much to me!**

 **There'll be more fics soon and I'll keep working on 'Aches and Pains' in the meantime!**

 ***waves***


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